Vibratory bridge for stringed musical instruments



May 3, 1949. R. w. WATTS VIBRATORY BRIDGE FOR STRINGED MUSICALINSTRUMENTS Filed Dec. 18, 1947 ATTORNEY Patented May 3, 1949 UNETEDVZBRATURY BRIDGE FOR STRINGED EL LUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Roy W. Watts,Calgary, Alberta, Canada Application December 18, 1947, Serial No.792,559 In Canada October 7, 1947 1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to a vibratory bridge for stringed musicalinstruments by the manipu1ation of which I am able to produce vibratoeffects in playing on the instrument to which it is attached, andtherefor to enhance the auditory effectiveness of the instrument beingplayed.

An advantage in my invention is that it may be readily attached andforms a substituted part for the conventional bridge which is anessential element of such musical instruments for support of the stringsthereof, and it is so disposed as to provide a convenient rest for theplayers hand or thumb for the operation thereby to cause vibrato effectstransmitted from the bridge to the sound box of the instrument, throughthe medium of this style of bridge.

A further advantage is that the device adapts itself readily for usewith certain stringed instrument of the plucked type as well as forthose types such as the guitar, for which. it is primarily intended,those of the plucked type could not heretofore be satisfactorily playedto produce pleasing vibrato effects, so there is here a markedopportunity to utilize the device which may be so easily applied to anysuch types of musical instruments, it being merely a novel style ofbridge used as a substitute for existing types.

It should be noticed that there are no springs in this instrument, thereactionary movements following down pressure on the lever-operationalpart of the device are a result of the tautness of the strings bearingdown on the top portion of the bridge to return this lever to its normalnonfunctioning position. The top portion of this two-piece bridge restson the bottom portion and is held firmly thereon by the pressure of thestrings, it is also keyed against sidewise movement relatively with themore stationary lower bridge portion, the lever arm causing the slightrising and lowering of this top portion relative to the bottom portion,resulting in a momentarily efiective lifting and lowering of the stringsto produce the desired tremulous sound efiects.

With the above mentioned application and advantages in view thisinvention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, and in the drawings accompanying thisspecification it will be necessary to observe that similar numeralsrefer to similar parts throughout the different views thereof.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device with the top portion fragmented.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the device.

Fig. 3 is an end View.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on line 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the manipulatory part.

In the drawings: l refers to the base portion of a two member bridge tosupport the strings of a musical instrument, and 2 is the upper portionof the same bridge. These two pieces to gether comprise a completebridge of my design for placement under the taut strings of the musicalinstrument, and for the support of same, such instrument being of anytype where the strings are fingered by striking or by plucking.

A curved hand or thumb operatin arm 3 of lever design is so extended, asseen at 4, in an angular direction relative with the longitudinal centerline of the bridge to come conveniently under the thumb portion of onehand when in a playing position. A straight portion 4a of this arm inits angular relationship with the curved portion thereof is disposedlongitudinally between the said upper and lower portions of the bridge.

In order to accommodate this straight portion to of the arm 4 themeeting faces of the upper and lower bridge portions are groovedlongitudinally as at 5 in slotted manner, said grooves being ofsufficient widths and depths to loosely hold the said arm :la in placetherebetween. Transverse grooves 6 are slotted in each upper and lowerportion. of the bridge towards the ends thereof to cut the said the saidlongitudinally disposed grooves perpendicularly. A centrally disposedgroove I is also cut, transversely, in both portions of the bridge.

The arm to has two lugs 8 projecting at a slightly upward angle withrespect to the plane in which the arm 4 normally lies, these lugs beingtowards each end of the arm. The same arm also has a lug 9 projectingopposedly directioned to the said lugs B and midway therebetween, and ata slightly downward angle with respect to the plane in which the arm 4normally lies. The objects of these lugs 8 and 9 is that when handpressure is put on the arm 4 in a vibratory manner the lug 9 in thecenter will be pressed down to raise the two outer lug 8 against theupper free moving portion of the bridge 2, thereby raising this portiontogether with the strings engaged thereon. This quick oscillatorymovement applied to the arm separates the bridge members in a slightlytilting manner to achieve the desired vibrato effect on the strings andthroughout the instrument.

The end of the arm 4 is flattened out to accommodate the shape of thethumb portion of the hand. The base of the lower portion of bridge |2 isextended as at ID to spread evenly over the face of the musicalinstrument, a hole I I being drilled in each such extended portion forfastening screws if necessary. Dowel pins i2 in one half portion of thebridge fit loosely into correspondingly disposed holes in the otherportion in order to securely register the two halves together.

I claim:

A bridge for stringed musical instruments having an upper and a lowerportion held together by the stretched strings of the instrument andwith loosely fitting dowel pins, and having a longitudinal groove alongthe center of each meeting face of the said two portions, and lateralgrooves cutting through said longitudinal grooves in each said portion,and also comprising a rotatable bar member fitting loosely in saidlongitudinal grooves, projecting lugs on both sides of said bar memberopposedly directioned upwardly and downwardly, as means for lifting saidupper bridge portion on rotation of said bar member against the pressureof the strings, and a bent lever arm extending angularly from one end ofsaid bar member by which its partial rotation is effected whenintermittently pressed by hand.

ROY W. WA'I'IS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file oithis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 455,221 Lorang June 30, 1891577,930 Prince Mar. 2, 1897

